CONTACT CENTER | 10 MIN READ

VIDEO: How Can My Business Handle Manual and Automatic Dialing and Stay TCPA Compliant?

Written by Jeff Mains

New FCC regulations on robocalls and new TCPA lawsuits have several businesses on high alert.  There’s confusion on what constitutes a violation and how a contact center can conduct business effectively without the risk of legal action.

After a client asked me when he can use an auto dialer and remain compliant, I decided to make a video that addresses these questions:

  • Defines the differences between manual and auto dialing
  • Highlights the issues related to compliance
  • Explains how management systems struggle to store and separate calls
  • Demonstrates how our solution was developed specifically to handle all of these concerns.
Overview of topics discussed in this video

What is an auto dialer?

An auto dialer is an Automatic Telephone Dialing System (or ATDS) that can store calls, generate call lists and make calls automatically.

What are the ways that auto dialers can make calls?

Auto dialers can make calls through predictive campaigns and power dialing campaigns.

What constitutes manual dialing?

Manual dialing consists of the agents actually dialing the numbers themselves (for example – pushing buttons).

Through Preview Calling, agents get a choice to either launch a call or skip it and move to the next call.  Click Dialing involves pulling numbers from a database (like a CRM) and clicking on the calls the agents chooses to make.

These are all call processes that require human intervention, so this is not automated dialing.

Intelligent Contacts offers another option called Intelligent Queue in which contact center managers can click on a phone number and launch the calls for the agents.   The system breaks down the process this way:

  • Numbers are in the management system (not the dialer itself)
  • The management system decides what calls are manual (via PBX/Non-ATDS) and which ones are to be auto dialed (via ATDS)
  • It keeps the process compliant because the dialer is not storing numbers and managers/agents are not calling numbers that should not be automated (this is manual intervention, so it is not an example of autodialing)

What can and cannot be called automatically?

 Landlines can be called automatically.  It’s trickier when you’re talking about cellphone numbers.  Some systems will remove or avoid cell phone numbers, and that’s why we designed a system that will split calls into “How to call” lists.

When it comes to cell phones, it’s imperative to have consent from the consumer.  If you don’t have consent, you have to utilize manual dialing processes.

How does this help me prepare for any potential TCPA issues when I've taken steps to be compliant?

 If you’re able to explain how your dialer is not storing calls and you’re able to show how your system properly separates manual/auto calls, you’re protecting yourself from legal issues. 

Is your contact center TCPA compliant?

We would love to show you a demo of our 100% TCPA compliant cloud contact center software!

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